H2U Health Centers
While traveling to remote villages to provide healthcare and workshops, Dr. Kanti Jain continued to see abandoned government health centers--every few kilometers, she came across another empty building. Seeing the need for access to healthcare, Dr. Jain recruited Share & Care Foundation to help IHBS renovate those buildings, forming the Healthcare to Unreached (H2U) project. Two buildings have been refurbished so far, and a doctor comes each week to attend to over 3,500 patients per center, the majority children, women, and the elderly.
Women's
Empowerment
In 2012, a woman approached Dr. Kanti Jain asking for classes to help women earn money. She said she had over 150 women interested. That started the IHBS Women's Empowerment project, which now holds classes for over 1500 women in sewing, beautician arts and computers. Women from the program have started their own businesses making dresses or doing hair for weddings, both locally and in nearby towns. This allows women the independence to earn their own incomes and support their families.
School Transport
IHBS provides Bal Academy students with transportation to school everyday. Nine buses bring students over 10 miles to class everyday for both morning and afternoon shifts. These are children who would not otherwise receive a formal education, but through Bal Academy can receive high quality bilingual instruction that prepares them for a bright future where they can work alongside Indians from the cities, where there is more access to education.
Mobile Health Units
In the town of Khichan, groups of 5 to 10 huts are nestled between sandy dunes, separated by dozens of acres. Transportation is scarce, and health centers are mostly abandoned, leaving people with no access to basic healthcare. IHBS began Medical Mobile Units with the Share & Care Foundation to provide basic healthcare and health education to villages. These units bring villages together to discuss sanitation, disease prevention, and pre-natal care. Women can also feel safe receiving exams and screenings close to home.
KalapurnamHospital
Before the opening of the Kalapurnam Hospital in 2001, the 7,000 residents of Khichan had to travel over 300 miles to get to the nearest hospital. Thanks to all of those who supported the hospital project, villagers can now access everything from neonatal care, to eye surgery to dialysis in a facility with over 10 consultation rooms and 150 beds. The hospital welcomes international medical brigades that perform hundreds of cleft surgeries and cataract surgeries, giving people a new chance at life.
Bal Academy
K-10 School
In 1987, Bal Academy was built to provide the surrounding villages with access to quality education. Bal Academy is now known throughout the region for its excellent bilingual instruction. Over 100 students attend Bal Academy for free, 1/5 receive reduced tuition, and 30 students attend on merit based scholarships. IHBS has plans to continue to expand the school to better serve the needs of the children. In 2016, IHBS broke ground on a new building that will bring smart classrooms and technical classes to the high school.
Projects
